This is the recipe we cook on Tuesday nights. It uses Red Tkemali because the riper plums caramelize beautifully on a hot grill, but Green works too if you want the finished bird to taste sharper and more citrus-forward.
The marinade is four ingredients. The chicken sits in it for 30 minutes — long enough that the acidity from the plums starts to tenderize the meat, short enough that you don't kill the texture.
Cook over a medium-hot grill (or a screaming-hot cast iron). Brush extra Tkemali on in the last minute so the sugars glaze rather than burn.
Recipe card
Georgian Plum Sauce Marinade for Grilled Chicken
- Prep
- 10m
- Cook
- 12m
- Total
- 52m
- Yield
- Serves 4
Ingredients
- →1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- →1/3 cup Malli Red Tkemali, plus more for brushing and serving
- →2 tbsp olive oil
- →1 tbsp neutral oil
- →1 tsp kosher salt
- →Black pepper
Instructions
- 01
Marinate
Whisk Tkemali, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add chicken, toss to coat, and rest 30 minutes at room temperature (or up to 4 hours in the fridge).
- 02
Heat the grill
Get a grill or cast iron pan medium-hot. Brush grates with neutral oil.
- 03
Cook
Grill chicken 5–6 minutes per side, turning once, until internal temp reads 165°F.
- 04
Glaze
In the last minute of cooking, brush each piece with a fresh spoonful of Tkemali so it caramelizes onto the surface.
- 05
Rest and serve
Rest 5 minutes. Serve with extra Tkemali on the side, plus rice, flatbread, or a herb salad.
